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We have passed the quarter mark of the National Football League campaign, which indicates we have a solid understanding of the path of most teams. So let’s examine the teams whose optimistic outlook have vanished after Week 5. Note that these aren’t necessarily the most terrible squads in the league (the Tennessee Titans and Browns, for example, are terrible but are largely playing as expected) as much as the ones who have been most disappointing.

New York Jets: Winless at 0-5

The lone squad yet to win in the league, the Jets check all the misery boxes. There have been devastating losses, starting with Chris Boswell drilling a 60-yard winning field goal for the Steelers in the season opener. And there have been blowouts like Sunday’s 37-22 loss to the Cowboys, which was not nearly as close than the numbers imply. The Jets’ presumed asset, their D, became the initial winless squad with zero takeaways in league history. The Jets continue to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties, giveaways, weak O-line performance, lack of fourth-down execution and poor sideline leadership. Incredibly the Jets are deteriorating weekly. If that wasn’t enough this has been a recurring issue: their playoff drought of 14 years is the most extended in football. And with one of the worst owners in the league, it could last a long time.

Misery rating: 9/10 – How long is Aaron Glenn’s leash?

Baltimore Ravens: Struggling at 1-4

Admittedly, it’s tempting to attribute Baltimore’s loss to Houston on Sunday to Lamar Jackson’s absence. But 44-10 – the most lopsided home defeat in team history – is embarrassing and even a player of Jackson's caliber can't overcome everything if his defensive unit, which admittedly has been ravaged by injuries, is awful. Compounding the issue, the Ravens defense barely resisted against the Texans. It was a productive outing for CJ Stroud, Nick Chubb, and the rest.

Still, Jackson will probably return in the near future, they play in a less competitive division and their future games is manageable, so there's still a chance. But based on how error-prone the Ravens have executed with or without Jackson, the hope-o-meter is running on fumes.

Despair Index: 6/10 - The division is still within reach.

Bengals Fall to 2-3

This situation stems from a single play: Burrow's year-ending ailment in the early season. A trio of games without Burrow has resulted in multiple setbacks. It’s hard to watch two of the league’s best receivers, Cincinnati's WR1 and the talented wideout, making plays with no positive results. Chase caught a pair of big scores and over 100 yards on Sunday in a 37-24 loss to an elite squad, the Detroit Lions. But Cincinnati’s O did most of the damage once the outcome was decided. Simultaneously, Burrow’s stand-in, the backup passer, while impressive in the final period against the Lions, has often been ineffective. His three picks on Sunday sank the Bengals.

No team in football relies so heavily on the well-being of an individual like the Bengals do with Burrow. Optimistic fans will note the fact that they will be a playoff contender when Burrow returns the following campaign, if he can avoid injury. But just five games into the current campaign, the campaign looks all but over for Cincinnati.

Suffering Score: 6/10 – Bengals supporters are again pondering what might have been.

Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)

Free Maxx Crosby, who continues to be one of the few good things in a unusual time of Raiders misery. Sunday’s 40-6 blowout loss to the Indianapolis was another demonstration of the poor combination of the quarterback and the head coach in the Las Vegas. Smith has been a giveaway factory, leading the league this season with nine turnovers. His two interceptions in Week 5 led to Indianapolis scores. It's unclear what the backup plan is, but Plan A – being fully committed to Smith – is a hard-to-watch situation.

Despair Index: 7/10 – Chip Kelly's offense requires immediate changes.

Unexpected Mention: Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)

Certainly, they’re the defending champions. And of course, they have suffered merely two losses in 22 outings. But between the wideout and the pass-catcher expressing dissatisfaction with their positions, fan complaints about their sluggish offense and the city’s continued skepticism about the head man, you’d think the Eagles were winless. Yes, Sunday’s collapse was alarming: the Eagles lost a significant margin to Denver in the last quarter thanks to multiple flags, an attack that vanished, and a D that was beaten and outthought by the Broncos' coach. Crazier things have happened. However, they were on the end of some controversial calls and are tied for the leading standing in their conference. Where are the smiles?

Despair Index: 3/10 - Despite the mood, the Eagles are playoff-bound.

Also Noteworthy: Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

The Cardinals are average rather than miserable, but their embarrassing 22-21 defeat to the until-then winless Titans was incompetent. A fumble at the goal line from Emari Demercado, who celebrated a 72-yard would be touchdown early, followed by a botched interception that resulted in a Titans touchdown sank the Cardinals. You couldn't invent this defeat if you tried. Considering this, and their earlier setbacks, were on last-second kicks, there is little celebration in Glendale these days. “I don’t really know what to think about that,” the signal-caller said after the game. “I don’t even know. I truly don't understand. That's Football Mistakes 101. I don’t know. It was insane.”

Despair Index: 3/10 – Is Murray the long-term answer?

MVP of the week

Carolina's Rico Dowdle, RB. The running back, replacing the injured Chuba Hubbard, {could do with a little more confidence|